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 What the heck am I doing today? Shenanigans, General Tomfoolery or What? You never know |
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Talk about perks, my career had one of the best I can think of! I traveled in the course of business, delivering classes for my employer. I was a Senior Training Specialist for Motorola Solutions, and taught classes on a wide variety of subjects centered around 2-way radio communications. I knew that when the time arrived that I would retire, and I have. I've always said that if you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, get out! I can't handle the heat anymore. I was qualified to deliver approximately 32 different classes, but about half of those were 'Legacy' classes, and were not in demand anymore. My students were technicians, those who maintained, programmed, calibrated, and repaired large 2-way radio systems. Some of these systems are statewide, and use TCP-IP networking to allow sites to communicate with others. Some are small, traditional type radio sites. The size doesn't matter, in each case the systems must be kept operational at all times, since many of them are Public Safety Systems. So I traveled, sometimes frequently, 3-4 weeks in a row.... where have I been? Some of the places I've been (I can't list them all here, the list would be too long) are pretty interesting. 1. Hawaii - Four times, Oahu, Maui (twice), and the Big Island, Plus I lived on Oahu from 74-83. 2. Bangkok Thailand, twice 3. Frankfurt Germany, twice 4. Algiers, Algeria 5. Melbourne Australia 6. Bismarck North Dakota, Summer & Winter 7. California, especially the Los Angeles area, Too many times to count 8. Washington DC, Too many times to count 9. Seattle three or four times 10. Texas, all over the state 11. Florida, all over the state 12. New Mexico, HOME! Several times  Best Cultural And Regional Honorable Mention |
So Many Things To Do There are so many things I want to do! At least my mind tells me that. On the other hand, my body is saying, "What? We're retired dude. Let's just sit back and smell the roses/coffee. I get what the body feels & wants. I also understand what the mind wants. So let's put their wants and desires side by side to see what we come up with. The Mind says: 1. "I'd like to travel to places we've not seen." The body replies, "You go right ahead. I'll stay home and keep the house safe." 2. The mind says, "I can still work, contact Jim Allenfort, he'll hire you. Travel then like before. The body replies, "You go right ahead. I'll stay home and keep the house safe. Remember, you have two dogs who cannot go everywhere with you." 3. The mind says, "Kathy needs to see more of the world. Take her to Germany, Normandy Beach, England to see Stonehenge. The body replies, "You go right ahead. I'll stay home and keep the house safe. Besides, have you already forgotten what it's like to pack and unpack clothing?" 4. The mind says, "We need to get out, get more exercise." The body agrees and says "Contact me when you decide to relax. Yes, there are many things I'd like to do, I just have very little energy anymore. There is far more than this short list. I wrote this tongue-in-cheek, I just wanted to have a little fun this morning. |
A Better Day Today One might wonder why today is a better day? Simple answer. I took Dex (Dexameethasone) yesterday. I didn't want to take Friday before going to the ER. I might have felt better and been stronger. So I waited until today to take it. It's just a once-a-week steroid to help make me feel better while takeing Revlimid. Believe me, it really helps! I'm still sleeping on the Love Seat, and will for the foreseeable future. I really feel it helps her to sleep better without me tossing and turning next to her because I can't sleep. Today though, NO Walker! I took a normal shower too. Did not need to sit on the little ench in our shower. I'm up and about dfar more than I was yesterday, but I need to be careful to not overdo it. Other than that, I want to drop a blurb for a movie. If you haven't seen it (I know at least one of you has), try and find a way to watch Electric Dreams. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087197/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_electri... It's from 1984, and is about someone who buys a computer, a computer that could do things we're just starting to do. And, it falkls in love with the female lead, Virginia Madsen. The soundtrack for it is far better than you might think. I believe S🤦♂️  wrote a nice review this a long time ago. But give it a shot! I donlt think you'll be disappointed one bit. It's the movie tha caused me to fall in love with Virginia Madsen. Okay, not real love, but you get the idea. |
Yesterday Was Quite A Day! As the title states. Yesterday Was Quite A Day. Please allow me to start from the beginning. We decided to go the ER. My condition had not improved much, if at all,. How bad was it? Well, even though I could get clean in 15 minutes or so, the whole ordeal would take at least an hour! Why so long? My legs do not support me well, if a all. Kathy can't pick me up, nor can she provide an arm for support when I try to stand. Plus, my legs might support me at the start, but there is a time limit on things. Once I'm on my feet, we have maybe 10 minutes to get me settled. And we both end up exhausted. Our next problem was getting me to the ER. After the Fiasco of trying to get to the lab for that MRI, we decided I would go by Ambulance. Not my first choice, but probably the safest. Until then I was almost pain free! Yet the minute I was on that Gurney, that back pain kicked in. Plus, Kathy told them that if she hasn’t been with me all the time, she would think I’d had a minor stroke. The EMT’s did their duty checking for stroke symptoms. The only thing he noticed was that my left hand grip was slightly weaker than my right. Nothing more was said or done about that matter. They ran a CT Scan from my head to groin. That game out good with no Cancer seen, and two small non-intrusive kidney stones. Once that was done we played ‘the waiting game’. I was discharged 6 hours after we arrived, there was no Medical Reason for me staying. I slept in the love seat as always. My new bed for the foreseeable future. Our big question is, suppose this is a permanent arrangement? Only time will tell. |
Oh To Be Young Again! No! Not really, You couldn't pay me enough to be in my 20's or 30's. Not in today's world. My days of being young and carefree are long gone. It's not something me or anyone else has done, it's life, Nothing more. In the past four weeks, I've progressed from walking normally, sometimes with a limp, to walking with a limp almost all the time, to walking with a cane, and now walking with a Walker! There is no way I could function as a person, doing what needs to be done, without that walker It's a cheap thing, made of Aluminum, the sides fold in for easy storage, two wheels in front. It get the job done. We have a nicer one, its left in the kitchen to use when needed. I saw my Oncologist yesterday. I wanted his opinion about the cause of the pain. Of course he's worried that it's the Myeloma causing it. I thought it was due to a pinched nerve. We'll find out about the Myeloma being the cause though. I'm having an MRI done at 1pm. I won't be able to lie there as needed, so I'll take a Valium at noon, and another when I arrive there. Imagine for a moment a life like this. You can't cook, about all you can do is sit around the house. Worst of all, what about showering? Think about it for 2 seconds or so. Maybe it will open your eyes.  Jim Dorrell |
When World's Collide When World's Collide is a 1951 movie based on a novel of the same name, written by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie, published in 1933. I read that novel about 8 times while in high school, along with its sequel, After World's Collide. This entry will be about the novel, not the movie. An Astronomer named Bronson discovers two rogue planets heading for our Solar System. The are given pretty original names, Bronson Alpha & Bronson Beta. Bronson Alpha is about the size of Neptune, Beta is about the size of Earth. Beta orbits Alpha as they travel across the Milky Way. Using Star Charts, it is determined that the two planets will initially pass close to Earth in 8 months, causing Catastrophic damage in the form of Earthquakes, Tidal Waves, and Hurricanes. the two planets swing around the sun and return 16 months later, when Bronson Alpha will collide with Earth, destroying it. Bronson Beta may break free from Alpha and orbit our sun in Earth's place. Only time will tell on that last part though. A team of Scientists set up a compound in Upper Michigan to build the American rocket. Sometime after the first pass of the two planets a mob attacks the compound killing about half of the team. The remaining science team crowds into the rocket and it lifts off. They use the rocket exhaust to eliminate the mob and return to their base and continue building the rocket. With loss of a little over half their crew, it is decided to build a larger rocket, one that is large enough to carry everyone left. As the planets return, the rockets take off, destination Bronson Beta! Rockets from other nations are see taking off also. Once they are in space, the people in the rocket can see Earth as it impacts Bronson Alpha and is torn apart in the process. The Scientific team manages to land on Bronson Beta. It has an atmosphere very similar to Earths, humans can survive there! Now the only thing needed, is for Beta to begin orbiting the sun. For a novel written in 1933, there are obvious 'faults' with the book and movie. But let your mind relax and immerse yourself in the story! |
Groundhog Day! I find it a little amazing in our world today that grown men would 'dress up' to see if a certain rodent, a groundhog called Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not. I think that according to legend, if the Groundhog sees its shadow it scurries back to its den where it remains for 6 weeks. This means we'll experience 6 more weeks of winter! Now the men who take care of Punxsutawney Phil really dress it up for what seems to me to be a unnecessary lengthy ceremony. I mean, top hats, long dress coats, as if they are heading for a Grand Ball/. They could have this little ceremony completed in 5 minute easy. Maybe less. You know how Marketing is though. They've done a nice job in making this last far longer than it needs to. Don't people realize that Groundhog Day falls right about 6 weeks after Winter starts? Since each season has about 12 weeks to it, that means that there are still 6 weeks of Winter left! Shadow or no shadow. But where, or how, did the event begin? Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund'sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Canadian French: Journée de la marmotte; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early. In 2026, the shadow was seen, auguring six more weeks of winter. While the tradition remains popular in the 21st century, studies have found no consistent association between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather. The weather lore was brought from German-speaking areas where the badger (German: Dachs) is the forecasting animal, while in Hungary for example the bear serves the same purpose, and badgers were only watched when bears were not around. It is related to the lore that clear weather on the Christian festival of Candlemas predicts a prolonged winter. The Groundhog Day ceremony held at Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centering on a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, has become the most frequently attended ceremony. Grundsow Lodges in Pennsylvania Dutch Country in the southeastern part of the state observe the occasion as well. Other cities in the United States and Canada also have adopted the event. Yet despite all my writing, and lamenting here about this, I would love to be there one year. Yes, I'm one of 'those' people who would love to go to Punxsutawney Pa and be there on 2/2 for Groundhog Day. Why? I don't know to be honest. It's just a calling in my head. |
And The Point Is.... I used the link below for information about this story. Believe it or not, this entry is not about making a point. So why the title? Last night at 3 in the morning, I was wide awake, and had been since midnight. For some reason, the song 'Me And My Arrow' by Harry Nilsson was going round and round in my mind, so I looked it up. Most of this entry is from memory of 56 years ago. I used that link to refresh my memory, nothing more. Nilsson released an album titled 'The Point' in 1970. They, whoever they are, even released a short video about the story behind The Point. On the album, a little boy named Oblio lived in a land where everything had to have a point. The roofs of houses were pointed, trees were pointed, even the people living in that land had a point, on top of their heads. Everyone, and everything had to have a point. Except Oblio, and his dog Arrow. The tops of their heads were round. <gasp>! They didn't have a point! Oblio wore a hat of some type that had a point on it, as did Arrow. After all, it was a law of the land that everything had to have a point. The townspeople accepted Oblio despite his non-conformity. However, one day Oblio unwittingly dishonored the son of a fanatical evil Count. The Count went to the King to reaffirm the law of the land. Oblio and Arrow are banished from the Kingdom and spend the night in the 'Pointless Forest'. There, Oblio learns that everything has a point, even if it can't be seen. Oblio and Arrow return to the Kingdom the following day and are given a heroes welcome. Well, a warm welcome from all but that Count. In a fit of rage, the Count knocks Oblio's hat off his head, only to reveal a point now there! At the point, everyone in the Kingdom lost their point, and had rounded heads, with Oblio now the only one with a point on top of his head. I think that this album and story is why I chose to not be like everyone else in school. This was 1970-71 remember, things were vastly different. I say everyone, but obviously it wasn't everyone. But everyone (most teens) were into some kind of drugs. They smoked. Drank alcohol. I decided that I wouldn't be like them, and haven't smoked, nor have I used illicit drugs of any type. I didn't even drink! And the best thing is, I have no regrets! But understand this, Everything has a point, of some kind. |
Dinner Last Night Early in the day I thought I'd make two types or Pork Spareribs yesterday. I was going to make Grandma Pauline's Sweet n Sour Ribs, a dish I've longed to make for a while now. The recipe was given to her in the 60's by her best friend, a true Hawaiian lady Pat. Yeah I know, American name for a Hawaiian. Recipe below. Grandma’s ‘Sweet n Sour’ Ribs 3-4 lbs of Spare Ribs. Cut into serving sizes. 1/3 c flour 1/3 c soy sauce 1/2 c vinegar 1 c dark brown sugar (packed) Ground Ginger and Ground Garlic to taste. (About 1 Tbsp of Garlic, more if you like, 1 tsp of Ginger) 3 c water 1. Put ribs into a long pan - mix together flour and soy sauce 2. Spread on the both sides of the ribs. 3. Marinate approx 1 hour - longer the better. 4. Heat oil (approximately 2-3 tablespoons) in a heavy dutch oven. Turn heat down and brown ribs (both sides). As each batch is browned remove to a plate and continue until all are done. 5. Place in the crock pot. Mix together ginger, garlic, brown sugar, vinegar and water. Pour over ribs, turn crock pot to high for hour or so, turn to low and let them cook. (I usually mix the water and seasonings ahead of time in the Crockpot, and place the ribs in as I remove them from the oil (After draining off the oil on a paper towel.) 6. Turn crock pot to high for hour or so, turn to low for about 3-4 hours. I also thought I'd make BBQ Ribs (essentially cut the Rack Of Ribs in Half. I wouldn't put BBQ Sauce on them while they baked, I'd add it afterwards. Kathy isn't big on having any sauce slathered over almost any kind of meat. Plus, I could add my New Mexico Green Chile BBQ Sauce on mine.  Then I cut open the package of Ribs. I called Kathy in to check, to make sure I was smelling what I thought I smelled. I was correct. This meat was bad. I checked the packaging, it said to use before 2/2 (Monday). So much against what I wanted to do, I dressed and took them back to the store and got a refund. The poor girl at the counter could smell them from six feet away! In the end, all was well, and I did get that refund. We ended up having Hors d'oeuvres, a mix of Cream Cheese, Salmon Caviar, Black Lumpfish Caviar, Hard Boiled Egg (Whites and Yolks separated), Parsley, and Green Onions, all placed in a circle around the Salmon Caviar. Served with crackers. There were other things in our meal, but that dish stands out.  |
Getting By, Little By Little Well, it's been a heck of a week. It appears that the PT I started on Monday has caused more pain. I've gone downhill pain wise since I started PT on Monday. But I'll not stop it, there's a brighter day ahead, I'm sure of that. Yesterday I went to a Convenient Care facility seeking help with pain. They couldn't prescribe anything stronger to prevent the pain from occurring, but did put me 5 days of Prednisone. I posted that visit in the Newsfeed "Note: Last night I was forced to make a decision I real...". It appears that that was a good choice, overall my pain has lessened greatly, but it's not gone. I didn't expect it to be after only 2 doses of it. After posting about it, I was surprised to learn that 2 members have been on Prednisone long term. I didn't think that was possible, I'm no doctor though, so what do I know? I've often thought that remaining on Dexamethasone (I've been taking it for 5 years now) after I stop taking Revlimid, would be great. Now to see if my Oncologist thinks so too. Or is there another path available for this? I have no desire for more surgery, I feel that's a dead end road. I'm also looking at alternative medicines too. A salve, something, anything. I'm sure it's not FDA approved, but how many times has the FDA not approved of a treatment plan, only to have that plan work? The issue is with the FDA and big Pharma, Curing something is not good for either. It's money out of their pocket. So we'll see. |
| We have our dogs on a Natural Diet. For the most part, we don't buy Kibble Dog Food. Not the Kibble Brand, dry dog food. We only buy that when we are going to travel. She will only buy the Natural stuff since most Kibble Dog Food contains a lot of Preservatives and ingredients that a dog cannot digest. Even Science Diet contains those ingredients, maybe to a smaller amount. I don't know. I have heard our Akita's (Buddy) breeder comment that she wishes her females had a coat like his. Should we feed them vitamin Supplements? You'd have to ask Kathy that question. We do give them a product from Melaleuca called Ningxia Greens with their dinner. It's highly concentrated though, so a little goes a long way. Shame on us, but we also give them 'junk food', which we both know we shouldn't. Like this morning, I had leftover breakfast pizza and gave Buddy the edge of the crust as I finished. We also feed them vegetables at times. Such as Carrots, Broccoli, Asparagus (sparingly), Rice, and Pumpkin. So what's for breakfast, which I normally prepare (She is a night owl, I'm not, so I'm usually up at 6 or earlier.) And what does a Natural Diet consist of? BTW, it's also called the Bones And Raw Food diet, or BARF diet. So for breakfast, it's normally Chicken Necks, Pheasant Necks, cut up Chicken Frames (Backs, a little bit of Breast, mainly bones and a little meat), Turkey Hearts, Lamb Hearts, Pork or Beef Liver/Kidneys, Food Processor type Salmon, Sardines (not canned Sardines either, they do love their fish), Scad (a typically small fish popular in Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, and around the UK/Ireland), Mackeral (Canned), Duck Wings and Rabbit Frames. These arrive in packages that are too large for daily use, so I cut it up as needed, and place in Quart size Freezer Bags. This morning's breakfast consisted of Rabbit, Pheasant Necks, Salmon, Turkey Hearts, and Lamb Hearts. Dinner consists of Ground Meat (Not fit for human consumption). We try to vary it since it too is in 2 lb chubs' We buy Salmon with skin, Duck with Bones, very little beef, Pork, Rabbit, Goat, A chub called Breeder's Choice, one called Complete Mix, and more. Neither dog likes Beaver or Muskrat, we no longer buy that. I'll bring up two of the 2 lb chubs from the freezer, those 6 lbs will last about 3 days. Right now it's Duck with Bones, and Salmon with Skin. We mix it together in Buddy's bowl, then add a little to Suzi's bowl. Suzi is a Schipperke, maybe 14 lbs sopping wet, so she gets about 1/3 of what we've prepared. Once in a while we'll add an egg to their dinner, maybe some cooked rice or leftover .0Veggies. Raw or Hard Boiled, it's all good. Feeding raw food can be expensive though. we probably spend as much, if not more, on Dog Food each moth as we do feeding ourselves! She won't have it any other way though. |
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